Zendaya To Star In ‘A White Lie’ As First Black Woman Vassar Grad Who Passed For White

This sounds absolutely amazing!

Zendaya is one of the younger generation’s brightest spots in Hollywood. The multi-faceted actress/singer/dancer is also a great role model due to her constant ability to #StayWoke despite the temptations of fame. Her new film role as Anita Hemmings sounds like it could be just the thing to turn her from a teen sensation into a serious actress.

As the representation of black actors and actresses continues to grow, more exciting projects are being announced to keep the train going. As reported by Shadow and Act, Zendaya has just signed on to star and produce a new film titled A White Lie, about the life of Anita Hemmings who was the first black woman to graduate from Vassar College while passing as white.

Via Shadow and Act:

[Zendaya’s new film] ‘A White Lie’ is a film adaptation of the Karin Tanabe novel, ‘The Gilded Years.’

The novel, a psychological thriller, “is built around the true story of Anita Hemmings, a light-skinned African American woman. She is the daughter of a janitor, who passed as white so she could attend Vassar at the turn of the century.” She is treated as a wealthy and educated white woman and sparks a romance with a rich Harvard student.

[In addition to] playing Hemmings, Zendaya will produce the film, along with Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter through Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.

Up next for the busy Zendaya is The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Grant as circus founder P.T. Barnum. The film also stars Zac Efron and Michelle Williams and hits theaters on December 30th.